Rotary explosive engine or motor.



A. K. LANDSMANN & P. DIPPON.

ROTARY EXPLOSIVE ENGINE 0R MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 6, 1910.

- 1,093,056. Patented Apr. 14, 1914.

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A. K. LANDSMANN & F. DIPPON. ROTARY EXPLOSIVE ENGINE 0R MOTOR. APPLICATION FILED DBO. 6, 1910.

1,093,056. Patented Apr. 14, 1914. I

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A. K. LANDSMANN & P. DIPPON.

ROTARY EXPLOSIVB ENGINE 0R MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED 1330.6, 1910.

Patented Apr. 14, 1914.

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'A. K. LANDSMANN & F. DIPPON.

ROTARY EXPLOSIVE ENGINE 0R MOTOR.

APPLIOATION FILED DEC. 6, 1910.

1,093,056. I Patented Apr. 14, 1914.

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ARTHUR K. LANDSMANN AND FRITZ- DIPPON, OF ST; LOUIS, MISSOURI.

ROTARY EXPLOSIVE ENGINE OR MOTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 1%, 191 1.

Application filed December 6, 1910. Serial No. 595,958.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, ARTHUR K. LANDS- imNN and FRITZ DIPPON, citizens of the United States, and residents of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Explosive Engines or Motors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in rotary explosive engines or motors, and has for its object a casing rotatably mounted around a stationary shaft, the said casing provided with a plurality of cylinders in which 0 aerate the istons and the arran e ment is such that an explosion is created in each alternate cylinder during each revolution of the casing, and by the operation of the pistons against the stationary shaft the casing together with the cylinders is placed in rapid rotation.

A further object of our invention is to construct an engine or motor especially adapted for the use on aeroplanes or other flying conveyances, and so arranged as to have its casing and cylinders rotate in a horizontal plane around a stationary shaft, the rapid rotation of the cylinders around the center acting as a gyroscope, giving stability to the conveyance.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of our invcntion. Fig. 2 is a horizontal, sectional view taken through the cylinders and easing. F 3 is a vertical, central, sectional view of the casing with the cylinders and their connections detached. Fig. 4 is an enlarged central sectional view of one of the cylinders showing the valve construction. Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of the cam mechanism made use of for operating the exhaust valves. Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the timer made use of for advancing or retarding the spark by which the gases in the cylinders are ignited. Fig. 7 is a detail plan view of the collar located on the crank of the stationary shaft showing the connections of the piston rods, the parts thereof being in section. Fig. 8 is a side view of the same. Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view of the contact arm made use of for completing the circuit of the spark mechanism. Fig. 10 is a detail perspective view of a contact point carried by each of the spark plugs.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 11 indicates a casing constructed of two sections 12 and 13, the upper section 12 acting as a crank casing, the lower section 13 being the gas receptacle or chamber into which gas is admitted for the carbureter 14: through the hollow portion 15 of the stationary shaft 16. The gases from the hollow portion 15 are permitted to enter into the chamber through the port holes 17 The carburetor is of the ordinary construction, having an inlet 18 for the admission of the fuel and air inlet 19 through which air is admitted to be mixed with the fuel for converting the same into gas. The stationary shaft 16 is rigidly mounted in a casting 20, which is provided with a plurality of projecting sockets 21. In these sockets are inserted and firmly attached arms or brackets 22 by which the entire device is supported on the frame work of the conveyance. The shaft 16 is provided with a crank 23, this together with the remaining portion of said shaft being integral and rigid.

Securely bolted on the'top of the casing 11 is a cover 24 provided with an integral sleeve 25, which snugly fits over the shaft 15 and acts as a bearing for the rotating casing, and on said sleeve is a beveled gear 26, which is arranged to mesh with a corresponding gear attached to the propeller shaft or its operating mechanism. In order to retain the device in rigid horizontal position we provide a sleeve or hearing 27 located on the shaft above the beveled gear 26, this sleeve or bearing being also provided with sockets 28 in which the supporting bars 29 are attached, the same extending sufliciently over the mechanism and brought to a suitable supporting spot.

The casings 12 and 13 are rotatably mounted around the shaft and are both securely bolted together at the point indicated by the numeral 30, the bottom end of the casing 13 having a sleeve or hearing 31 which operates on the lower portion of the shaft 16 and on this sleeve is attached a gear pinion 32, which is arranged to mesh with a gear wheel 33 for placing in opera tion the mechanism for advancing or retarding the spark.

On the casing 11 is securely bolted a plurality of cylinders 34 in which operate pistons 35 and to each of the pistons is connected a piston rod 36. As illustrated in the drawing, 7 cylinders are shown carried by the casing. On the crank 23 of the shaft. is located a collar 37 to this collar the piston rod 38 is rigidly attached, the remaining number of the pistons being pivotally connected to the collar at the point indicated by the numeral 39, clearly shown in Figs. 2, 7, and 8, and by the manipulation of the several pistons against the stationary shaft the rotary motion is imparted to the casing, driving the same, together with all of the cylinders, in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2.

The outer, free end 40 of the cylinders 34 is constructed of larger diameter than the remaining portion, and so arranged as to form a space 41 for the free operation of the valves without in any manner being interfered with by the piston head, and in this space projects the spark plug 42 for igniting the compressed gases. In this enlargement is located the inlet valve 43 and the exhaust valve 44, the gas being admit ted into the chamber 45 located in advance of the valve 43 by means of the pipe connection 46 running from the inlet end 47 to the gas chamber 13, this connection being clearly illustrated in Fig. 1. The chamber 45 is closed by the cylinder head 48, which is provided with a suitable bearing 49, through which projects and operates the valve stem 50, the free end of the valve stem being provided with a flanged collar 51, between which and the cylinder head 48 is located an expansive spring 52, the tendency of which is to normally hold the valve 43 in closed position, the spring being of such tension as to permit the valve to open, permitting the gas to enter into the chamber 41 by the suction caused by the inward movement of the piston head. On

the cylinder head 48 is located a bracket 53, its outer end being bifurcated and in the bifurcation is swingingly mounted a counter-balance arm 54, its end 55 contacting with or connected to the end of the valve stem 50, its purpose being to prevent the inlet valve 43 from tightly seating itself against the valve seat, this being caused by centrifugal force which has a tendency to force the valve outwardly, this being overcome by the action of the counter-balance arm. Each of the exhaust valves 44 is operated mechanically, the valve stems 56 being guided in the cylinder head 57, and are located in advance of the valve 44 forming an exhaust chamber 58 between the same, the whole of said chamber provided with a port 59, through which the exhaust escapes. The cylinder heads 57 are also provided with bifurcated brackets 60, in which are supported rocker arms 61, the free end 62 contacting with the end of the valve stems 56, while the bottom end of the arms is provided with a socket 62 to which is connected valve operating rods 63. The rods 63 extend through the casing 13 and leakage'at this point is prevented by means properly timed.

to the shaft 16, and held in rigid position with the shaft during the rotation of the remaining parts. The position of the cam grooves on the disk is clearly shown in Fig. 5.

The rotation of the engine is in the direction as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, the cam disk 67 being located rigidly on the shaft, its cam grooves 66 being so formed as to cause the shoes 65 to ride in the grooves during the rotation of the engine causing the shoes to operate the valve rods at a proper period permitting the cylinders to exhaust prior to the admission of a new supply of gas.

Each of the cylinders is provided with the usual spark plug 42, on each of which is located a contact point 68, which is designed to come in contact with the contact arm 69, this arm being rigidly attached to an insulator block 70 supported on an upright 71 attached to any convenient rigid portion of the frame or conveyance. The contact arm is charged with electricity through the wire 72, being connected to the binding post 7 3. The position of the arm 68 and arm 69 is such as to complete the electrical circuit during the rotation of the engine. Contact is made, and the cylinder fired by the electric spark, by means of the contact of the arms 68 and 69 and the timer which is located beneath the engine and operated by the pinion 32. The construction of the timer consists of a block 74 supported on a short shaft 7 5, which has bearing in a sleeve 76 forming a part of the casting 20, and on the upper end of the short shaft the gear wheel 33, which meshes with the pinion 32 is located. On the opposite end of the shaft and below the block 74 is mounted a seven pronged ratchet wheel 77, its disk corresponding with the number of cylinders, and on this ratchet wheel rides a contact arm 78, which when on the highest point of the tooth will contact with the point 79 completing the circuit of the spark mechanism through the wire 80. The block 74 is provided with abore 81 to which the same may be attached to a bracket or other suitable device and so arranged as to be adjusted forward'or backward so that'the spark may be This timing mechanism is constructed to revolve but once during two rotations of the engine proper. In this manner each alternate cylinder is fired.

The exhaust valves are each operated at a proper period by the traveling ofthe shoes 65 in the cam grooves 66; By referring to Fig. 5, the positions of the shoes, together with the valve operating rods are in unison with the position of the cylinders shown in 2, and for clearness both Figs. 2 and 5 should be observed in unison.

The operation of the exhaust valves in connection with each of the cylinders is as follows: As previously stated each alternate cylinder is fired during the rotation, the cylinder-ii, has just finished its contact with the spark mechanism and the compressed gases in the cylinder having been exploded at this proper position and at the time of the explosion, the shoe-a; is at the point as indicated in Fig. 5, traveling in the direction indicated by the arrow leading therefrom. During this operation the exhaust valve is held in closed position. The cylinder'B which has been previously fired is in the act of expanding and the shoe-b operating the valve operating rod has just entered the outer cam groove, still retaining the valve in closed position, but passing to the highest point of the cam, which will then open the exhaust valve and permit the exhaust. The cylinder-C is in the act of exhausting, the shoe-0 traveling in the outer cam groove opening the exhaust valve. The cylinder-D having about completed its one revolution is in the act of finishing its exhaust, and the exhaust valve is held open by the position of the shoe-(l in the outer cam groove. The cylinders just described have performed their function and will remain inoperative during the next revolution, whereas on the contrary the cylinder-G is in the act of com pressing, its exhaust valve being held closed by the position of the shoe-g in the inner cam groove and when this cylinder is brought in contact with the electrical contact point, the compressed gases are exploded. The next cylinder to be fired is cylinder-F, which as shown in the drawings is in a position ready to compress, and the shoe- 7 controlling its exhaust valve is traveling in the inner cam groove. The cylinder-E which has passed idly beneath the contact point in advance of the cylinder-A is in the act of taking in a fresh supply of gas, and the shoe-e controlling its exhaust valve is in a position ready to enter from the outer cam groove into the inner cam groove. It must be remembered in order to avoid confusion that each alternate cylinder is fired, the intermediate cylinder, or one passing idly by the contact point is in the act of supplying the cylinder with a new charge, while those which have been exploded are performing the operative function against the stationary shaft, around which the casing together with all of its cylinders is rapidly rotated.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to have secured to us by the grant of Letters Patent, is:

1. A four-cycle engine of the class described comprising a stationary crank shaft,

a casing located around the same, a gas chamber located at the bottom of said casing, a plurality of cylinders mounted on the casing in the same horizontal plane, and rotating with the casing around the stationary shaft, the same when in rotation acting as a gyroscope, exhaust and intake valves mounted in the cylinders, a valve mechanism operating the exhaust valves of each cylinder at a given period, a sparking device for igniting the gases in the cylinder at a given period, a timing device whereby the spark is regulated firing the cylinders alternately, a pipe connection between each cylinder and the gas chamber, means for admitting gas to the gas chamber through the crank shaft, means for pre venting the intake valves from becoming tightly seated through the centrifugal force exerted on them when the engine is in motion, and means for transmitting the power developed by the engine, substantially as specified.

2. A horizontal rotary engine comprising a stand, a crank shaft rigidly mounted therein, a second stand supporting the crank shaft at its upper end, a casing revolubly supported by the crank shaft, cylinders attached to the casing, inlet and exhaust valves mounted in the cylinder heads, a gas chamber mounted below the casing, a double grooved cam located within the gas chamber and a connecting means between the cam and the exhaust valves only for operating the same.

3. A device of the class described comprising a casin a plurality of cylinders rigidly located on the periphery of said casing, a vertical stationary crank shaft rigidly held at its upper and lower extremities, a gas chamber located beneath the easing, intake and exhaust valves located in the piston heads and a cam mounted in the gas chamber for operating the exhaust valves only.

4t. A device of the class described comprising a hollowed vertical crank shaft rigidly supported at both its ends, a revoluble casing mounted around the crank shaft,

cylinders radiating from the periphery of said casing, said cylinders having their outer ends of larger diameter than the main body thereof, a gas chamber located around the shaft and secured to the under side of said revoluble casing, means for supplying the gas chamber with gas, and pipes connecting the gas chamber and the enlarged portion of the cylinders for supplying the cylinders with gas.

A device of the class described comprising a vertical crank shaft rigidly supported at both of its ends against revolution, a revoluble casing mounted around the crank shaft and between the supports, cylinders radiating from the periphery of said casing,

ter of the lower portion of the crank shaft extending from the lower end thereof and communicating with the gas chamber, a 1 carbureter attached to the lower end of the crank shaft for supplying the gas chamber 3 wlth the proper mixture, and a tlmlng de- 5 vice whereby the cylinders are fired alternately. V y

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification, in presence of 15 two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR K. LAND SMANN. FRITZ DIPPON.

Witnesses ALFRED A. EICKS, WALTER C. STEIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

